The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-04-23

lett hand side, was tlSeI' rouslhg
big fellow, who had seen fifteen years
of life. On the right hand side, and
also close to the base of the wall, was a
medium sized male lion, and the atti-
tude of both plainly showed that they
had been stalking me. 1t was q still
hunt, and | was the victim. The lion
had come out of the bush to the right,
and the tiger had come out of a
thicket to the left and crossed the creek.
Neither animal could have seen the
other, and thus they were not aware of
each others presence.
Had remained in the building with
my back to the door another moment
one of the beasts would undoubtedly
have crept close enough to make
spring. When / turned about and sat
down on the block ofwoodlthe movement
upset their calculations and made them
timid for the moment Under certain
circumstance any wild beast loses heart.
A move which is surprise and not
clearly understood will make ours of
them at once, and a second move will
put them to ignominious flight. When
l got sight of the beasts the lion
had half turned, as if to sneak away,
while the tiger was crouched against
the wall, and appeared shame-faced,
Had / risen up and swung my hat and
yelled both would have bolted, but l
must confess that, taking my pain and
and the general situation into account,
was badly ratified. l couldn't think
just what ought to be done, and there
fore did nothing. This, after moment,
encouraged the beasts, and then came
such a situation as few men were ever
placed in. l had opportunity to see
here, lion and tiger approaching a
victim waiting to be struck down. |
have wondered a thousand times what
could have come over me to sit there
with my gun within reach and my re-
volver in its holster and make not the
slightest move to save my life, while
those fierce brutes crept nearer and
nearer. think the poison benumbed
and Supplied me to certain extent.
That is, while my brain was never more
active and my eye-sight keen, felt
, helpless to move, and my mouth was
as dry as if had the fever | knew
my peril as fully as any one could, but
when | thought of grasping my rifle
and sighting it the exertion required
discouraged me.
The lion was the bolder of the two.
, After making up his mind that could
not harm him, he held his head up
swung his tail about, and advanced al
2 a slow pace. / was under cover, anC
1 he might have suspected trap. Blu
for this he would have probably made
e a rush. The tiger displayed exactly thu
e same characteristics rs cat creeping
l upon her prey. He crept, crawled
y twisted about, and sought to shelter
e his body behind the slightest tuft o
/. grass. He did not however, take hi
It eyes off me for the tenth of second
: and the nearer he came the more hi
o great lips parted to show his yellow
st teeth. He was as supple as snake
It and nothing could be more graceful
=. than his movements. | could see hi
e tremendous muscles culver as he NOV
e ed, and | remember of what power h
o. must have in his legs. 1t was all G
h ten minutes before the beasts approach
It ed the point where they realized eac
e others presence. You would hav
lie thought, with only wall separatin
d them, that they must have heard Q
d scented each other The fact that the
a did not was probably owing to tn
t. excitement under which they laboreC
Of By and by the lion was almost at tn
,r end of the wall, and near enough fc
If his spring. He crouched dowr
p switched his tail in a menacing wa,
IL and plainly saw his talons dig int
J. the earth as he gathered his muscle
" for a great effort. While there was
settled determination on his part {
n make food of me, there was certai
d. trepidation of his general demeano
I'd 1t was plain that he was mystifed, BIT
ID his ferOcious nature prevailed.
lie The tiger kept abreast of the liol
or and he was the first to take the alarm
tn He evidently scented the lion, for
ne reared up, snuffed the air, and the
re flung out a paw and spat like an angl
er cat. This noise startled the lion, an
ly he rose up, showed his teeth, and toe
k, his eyes off me for the first tim
n, Either animal could easily have leapC
en- the wall, but neither attempted it. III
r. tiger took on a fiercer look and dro
lie ! ped some of his stealth, but the lie
nv reached the end of the W,
it, first, uttering roar of defan,
e, and evidently expecting to meet ;
as enemy The tiger was four or five fe
yn from the end of the wall, and the mo
ly he made was s. quick that my ey
up could not follow it. As the lions he
or showed around the wall the big c
ed made lightning spring, and the ne